Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
If you undertake a project involving a historic building, chances are at some point you are going to hear about the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The Standards are principles for handling historic properties, based on four distinct approaches - preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction.
Preservation – retains the historic building as it currently stands, and focuses on maintaining, stabilizing, and protecting the building.
Restoration – returns the historic building to its appearance during a specific period of time by removing features added in later periods, and reconstructing features that have been lost.
Rehabilitation – adapts the historic building to house a new, compatible use through repairs, additions, and alterations, while still preserving the historically significant features of the building.
Reconstruction – rebuilds a previously demolished historic building, recreating its appearance during a specific period of time.
Choosing the best approach depends on the significance of the historic building, its current condition, and its intended use. A highly significant building with numerous historic features intact is likely not a good fit for an intensive rehabilitation project. Likewise, a locally significant building that has had many alterations throughout its history may not benefit from a preservation approach. The best treatment for a historic building will carefully balance the building’s history with the role it will play moving forward.
Applying the Standards
The Standards are guiding principles, not technical directions. When working under a specific approach, several different actions could be appropriate, depending on the building. For instance, under Rehabilitation, it could be appropriate to remove, repair, or replace historic windows, depending on the architectural value, the historic significance, and the condition of the windows. To address this, the National Park Service’s Technical Preservation Services has developed the Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The Guidelines outline “recommend” or “not recommended” actions per building feature, organized by each preservation approach – preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction. The Guidelines provide practical interpretations of the Standards, giving further instruction and clarifications for treatments. However, even the Guidelines stop short of giving explicit technical instructions. The final method selected is always based on the specific project, preservation treatment, and needs of the historic building.
Who uses the Standards?
Projects seeking rehabilitation tax credits will need to demonstrate that they follow the Standards in order to claim the tax credits. Additionally, all Federal agencies or projects receiving federal funding will be required to follow the Standards when dealing with historic properties. On a local level, many communities use the Standards to guide their historic design review processes. While not every project involving a historic building will be required to follow the Standards, every historic building project can benefit from the theoretical framework the Standards provides.
For more information on the Standards, visit https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1739/secretary-standards-treatment-historic-properties.htm
